Just throwing this out there because I am bored

[Old Style]

IF the Cubs make the playoffs, who would you drop from the rotation assuming all 5 starters are healthy? Would you consider moving Dempster back into the closer role and go with Z, Lilly, Harden, and Wells as your 4 starters?

[daske17]

Given Harden's erratic starts, I'd be more likely to put him in the bullpen and keep Dempster in the rotation as the fourth starter.

 

EDIT: I take that back. I just looked at Harden's gamelogs. Dempster is definitely going into the bullpen, though maybe not as closer.

Edited August 7, 2009 by daske17

[NCCubFan]

Based on how they've been performing I think Dempster has to be odd man out (although my hunch is that Wells will be the one to be dropped due to lack of post-season experience). For neither the first nor last time what should happen and what will happen will probably be different.

[17 Seconds]

there's no way to possibly know who will be pithcing well at the end of the season, so it wouldn't make sense to speculate anything right now. wells could fall off the face of the earth between then and now. lilly could be throwing 87 and getting rocked. dempster could be dominating. we have no idea right now. Edited August 7, 2009 by 17 Seconds

[jersey cubs fan]

I'd like to reserve the right to wait and see how the next 8 weeks turnout. I'd like to get Harden rest and be in position to start on 5-6 days rest in the playoffs. If Wells continues to get the results he's getting, I'd really like to keep him in there. If Lilly returns to form, I'd like him to start as well. If all those things happen, I'd probably put Dempster in the bullpen. But if Dempster looks stronger than either Lilly or Wells down the stretch, if Lilly's injury holds him back, if Wells falters, or if Harden falls apart, that could change.

[NCCubFan]

there's no way to possibly know who will be pithcing well at the end of the season, so it wouldn't make sense to speculate anything right now.

Nothing wrong with speculating based on performance up to now as long as it's with the recognition that it's subject to change. It's just a fun exercise; it's not like Lou is going to set the post-season rotation based on premature speculation by fans on a message board.

[daske17]

I'd like to reserve the right to wait and see how the next 8 weeks turnout. I'd like to get Harden rest and be in position to start on 5-6 days rest in the playoffs. If Wells continues to get the results he's getting, I'd really like to keep him in there. If Lilly returns to form, I'd like him to start as well. If all those things happen, I'd probably put Dempster in the bullpen. But if Dempster looks stronger than either Lilly or Wells down the stretch, if Lilly's injury holds him back, if Wells falters, or if Harden falls apart, that could change.

 

In an ideal world that would be the case. But I can see Lou keeping Lilly in the rotation regardless because he's a leftie. Although if Gorz pitches for the remainder of the season like he did on Wednesday, who knows who that leftie would be.

[Old Style]

there's no way to possibly know who will be pithcing well at the end of the season, so it wouldn't make sense to speculate anything right now.

Nothing wrong with speculating based on performance up to now as long as it's with the recognition that it's subject to change. It's just a fun exercise; it's not like Lou is going to set the post-season rotation based on premature speculation by fans on a message board.

Exactly.

[Rusch33]

I'm going to throw this one out here because we're speculating.

 

How would you rank these compared to the Cubs?

 

Phillies Probable Playoff Rotation:

1. Hamels

2. Lee

3. Happ

4. Pedro/Blanton/Moyer

 

Dodgers Probable Playoff Rotation

1. Billingsley

2. Kershaw

3. Wolf

4. Kuroda

 

Cardinals Probable:

1. Wainwright

2. Carp

3. Pineiro

4. Lohse

 

Rockies:

1. Cook

2. Jimenez

3. Marquis

4. Hammel

[Banedon]

Rockies:

1. Cook

2. Jimenez

3. Marquis

4. Hammel

 

Something is going to happen to prevent Marquis from playing in the playoffs. It's just the way things work.

[Tyrant]

 

Rockies:

1. Cook

2. Jimenez

3. Marquis

4. Hammel

 

Jimenez has to be first, right? He's a beast.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If I had to make that decision today, I guess I do drop Dempster (assuming Lilly was healthy).

 

but danged if I'm not very, very iffy on what Harden and Wells will do in the next month and a half.

[laurens]

I'm going to throw this one out here because we're speculating.

 

How would you rank these compared to the Cubs?

 

 

Why include the Rockies and not the Giants?

 

Lincecum

Cain

Zito

Sanchez/Johnson

[daske17]

The Giants rotation probably scares me the most. Lincecum and Cain are a force of nature.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Harden as closer is one of the more intriguing ideas that I've heard, but there is no way the Cubs are going to throw him into that role in the playoffs with no prior experience.

[dew1679666265]

I'm going to throw this one out here because we're speculating.

 

How would you rank these compared to the Cubs?

 

Phillies Probable Playoff Rotation:

1. Hamels

2. Lee

3. Happ

4. Pedro/Blanton/Moyer

 

Dodgers Probable Playoff Rotation

1. Billingsley

2. Kershaw

3. Wolf

4. Kuroda

 

Cardinals Probable:

1. Wainwright

2. Carp

3. Pineiro

4. Lohse

 

Rockies:

1. Cook

2. Jimenez

3. Marquis

4. Hammel

 

Based purely on stats, the Cubs are superior to every one of those staffs except the Dodgers. LA and the Giants are the only two staffs that have better overall numbers than the Cubs. The Cardinals have a better team WHIP than the Cubs, though.

 

I'd probably rank them:

 

Dodgers

Cubs

Cards

Rockies

Phillies

[bukie]

I'm going to throw this one out here because we're speculating.

 

How would you rank these compared to the Cubs?

 

Phillies Probable Playoff Rotation:

1. Hamels

2. Lee

3. Happ

4. Pedro/Blanton/Moyer

 

Dodgers Probable Playoff Rotation

1. Billingsley

2. Kershaw

3. Wolf

4. Kuroda

 

Cardinals Probable:

1. Wainwright

2. Carp

3. Pineiro

4. Lohse

 

Rockies:

1. Cook

2. Jimenez

3. Marquis

4. Hammel

 

Based purely on stats, the Cubs are superior to every one of those staffs except the Dodgers. LA and the Giants are the only two staffs that have better overall numbers than the Cubs. The Cardinals have a better team WHIP than the Cubs, though.

 

I'd probably rank them:

 

Dodgers

Cubs

Cards

Rockies

Phillies

 

Including the Giants, I'd probably go

 

Giants

Dodgers

Cubs

Cards

Phillies

Rockies

 

Offensively, though, I'd likely go

 

Phillies

Dodgers

Cards

Cubs

Rockies

Giants

[dew1679666265]

Including the Giants, I'd probably go

 

Giants

Dodgers

Cubs

Cards

Phillies

Rockies

 

I agree with the Giants being at the top.

 

The Rockies' staff has a better team ERA, ERA+ and WHIP than the Phillies. The Phillies have more strikeouts, though. If Hamels gets dominant again, I might go Phillies over Rockies, but otherwise I think the Colorado staff is better.

 

Offensively, though, I'd likely go

 

Phillies

Dodgers

Cards

Cubs

Rockies

Giants

 

Generally I'd agree with that, though an argument could be made that the Rockies should be third on that list. They have superior R/G, OBP, SLG, OPS and OPS+ than the Cubs or Cardinals. The Cubs and Cardinals have had very similar offensive numbers to this point in the year as well.

[bukie]

Including the Giants, I'd probably go

 

Giants

Dodgers

Cubs

Cards

Phillies

Rockies

 

I agree with the Giants being at the top.

 

The Rockies' staff has a better team ERA, ERA+ and WHIP than the Phillies. The Phillies have more strikeouts, though. If Hamels gets dominant again, I might go Phillies over Rockies, but otherwise I think the Colorado staff is better.

I put the Phillies over the Rockies strictly due to the acquisition of Cliff Lee, who significantly upgrades the overall rotation, and should lower the numbers quite a bit in the second half.

[dew1679666265]

Including the Giants, I'd probably go

 

Giants

Dodgers

Cubs

Cards

Phillies

Rockies

 

I agree with the Giants being at the top.

 

The Rockies' staff has a better team ERA, ERA+ and WHIP than the Phillies. The Phillies have more strikeouts, though. If Hamels gets dominant again, I might go Phillies over Rockies, but otherwise I think the Colorado staff is better.

I put the Phillies over the Rockies strictly due to the acquisition of Cliff Lee, who significantly upgrades the overall rotation, and should lower the numbers quite a bit in the second half.

 

Good point, I forgot about Lee somehow.

[SouthSideRyan]

The Giants probably have the 2 best pitchers, but they probably have the 2 worst out of those groups too.

[dew1679666265]

The Giants probably have the 2 best pitchers, but they probably have the 2 worst out of those groups too.

 

Randy Johnson is better than Jason Hammel, but otherwise you're right.

[DiamondMind]

There's no way I'm letting Harden pitch in the playoffs if it stays like this. Too many HR's.

[SouthSideRyan]

There's no way I'm letting Harden pitch in the playoffs if it stays like this. Too many HR's.

 

There's no way I don't pitch Rich Harden game 1 if he keeps pitching like he has his last 5 starts. If Harden is healthy and rested he's the best pitcher we have, and one of the best in baseball.

[jersey cubs fan]

There's no way I'm letting Harden pitch in the playoffs if it stays like this. Too many HR's.

 

There's no way I don't pitch Rich Harden game 1 if he keeps pitching like he has his last 5 starts. If Harden is healthy and rested he's the best pitcher we have, and one of the best in baseball.

 

I'd probably pitch him game 2. I don't want him in Game 1 because I don't want him pitching in Game 5 unless there's extra rest built in.